The Duchess of Cambridge has today visited the costume department of the Royal Opera House.

The Duchess has been developing her interest in the textiles and manufacturing industry through her Patronage of the Victoria and Albert Museum, which holds a national collection of textiles.

The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Royal Opera House and over the coming months The Duchess will be exploring her interest in the use and manufacture of textiles through learning opportunities, visits and meetings with industry experts.

Today the Duchess learnt more about The Royal Opera House's use of textiles as well as the commissioning of fabrics, design and craftsmanship involved.

The Costume team at the Royal Opera House create and conserve thousands of opera and ballet costumes each season and work with designers to create new pieces for each production.

Her Royal Highness saw first-hand the techniques used and how the department sources fabrics and textiles for the some 600 costumes needed for each production.

At the end of the tour of the costume department, Her Royal Highness met Artists of The Royal Ballet, Lauren Cuthbertson, Laura Morera and Vadim Muntagirov – who explained how stage lighting and choreography influence the design of their costumes.

The Costume Department at the Royal Opera House will maintain and create up to 10,000 costumes worn by Royal Ballet Artists each year.